The invention relates to a starter for an internal combustion engine.
The German patent specification DE 358 082 A describes a starter for an internal combustion engine which has an electric starter motor the rotational movement of which is transmitted via gears to a starter pinion. The starter pinion can be adjusted in a radial direction between an inoperative position and an engaged position with a crown gear of the internal combustion engine. The starter motor actuates a drive pinion which meshes with a slew pinion that is jointly disposed with the starter pinion on a shaft running parallel to the drive shaft. The slew pinion meshes with the internal teeth of a ring gear which is disposed coaxially to the drive shaft and can revolve about the same.
After the start-up of the electric starter motor, the ring gear still initially remains in the initial rotational position thereof due to the relatively high inertia thereof, wherein the slew pinion runs jointly with the starter pinion along the internal teeth of the ring gear until achieving the engaged position between starter pinion and ring gear. In the further course of action, the ring gear begins to rotate. The drive movement of the starter motor is then transmitted into a rotation of the starter pinion which actuates the ring gear of the internal combustion engine.
The Swiss patent application CH 97 941 discloses a starter for an internal combustion engine comprising a starter pinion that is radially pivotally mounted. The starter pinion is accommodated in a tiltable sleeve which can be pivoted concentrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the motor, wherein the starter pinion executes the desired radial movement in the direction of the crown gear by means of the pivoting movement of the tiltable sleeve due to the eccentric mounting thereof.